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CBS released clips and behind the scenes footage of its four new shows yesterday with along with details on the series’ placement on the primetime schedule.
Partners, the only comedy being added for fall, will air Monday nights at 8:30 pm between current hits How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls. This seems like an ideal timeslot for the show from David Kohan and Max Mutchnik, the executive producers behind Will & Grace. The show is loosely based on their lives and stars David Krumholtz (Numbers) and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) as two best friends and partners, one of whom is gay and the other is straight. Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) also star as their significant others.
My take: Based on the clip, Michael Urie is going to steal the show just like he did on Ugly Betty. His character seems to be just the right amount of over the top without being eye roll inducing. Sophia Bush was the other bright spot.
Vegas, the drama based on the true story of a cowboy turned sheriff, is set in 1960’s Las Vegas. Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid) uses his cowboy skills to bring old fashioned justice to the city that is slowly being overrun with mobsters. Michael Chiklis costars as a Chicago mobster who wants to make his own mark on the city. The show will air Tuesday nights at 10 pm after NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles.
My take: I don’t want to come right out and say that this show would probably appeal more to the older demographic, but that is pretty much what I told my parents at dinner. I like mob stuff as much as the next person, but cowboys and shows set in the past are really not my thing. It should be able to hold onto the audience from its lead ins.
Elementary has been touted as the modern day take on the Sherlock Holmes story. It stars Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone) as the famed Scotland Yard detective, but in this version, he’s living in New York City. Another twist to the story is the famed Dr. John Watson has become Joan Watson and will be played by Lucy Liu. She has been court appointed to keep an eye on Holmes. It will air Thursday nights at 10 pm after Person of Interest.
My take: I felt like Miller was trying a little too hard to be Robert Downey, Jr. being Sherlock Holmes. I’m also not sure that taking the bromance aspect of the story away was a wise choice because bromances are awesome. But Person of Interest should work as a nice lead for the show and could create some real competition for its timeslot rival, Scandal (also known as the BEST new show this season).
Made in Jersey (formerly Baby Big Shot) is about a Jersey girl (Janet Montgomery) who goes to work for a prestigious law firm in New York City. She doesn’t really fit in with the polished lawyers there, but she uses her street smarts to make a name for herself and impresses her boss and her colleagues. The series will be on Fridays at 9 pm after CSI: New York and before Blue Bloods.
My take: This was the show I was most looking forward to and the clips were promising. But I am surprised that CBS didn’t pair it with The Good Wife. I would think the two dramas about smart female lawyers would appeal to the same audience and I’m worried it might get lost in the shuffle on Friday nights, especially with such a terrible title.
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